The Portland Trail Blazers appear ready to hit the market for the rest of their Damian Lillard era.
“The Anfernee Simons situation is noteworthy.” Sean Hikin, NBA Insider“On draft night, (Portland general manager) Cronin said the Blazers were “all-in” about building a team around Scoot Henderson and Shaydon Sharpe, without mentioning Simmons’ name. Simmons has also sounded open to a move; in his end-of-season exit interview in April, he said he wanted “a chance to win,” but that’s clearly not what the Blazers are aiming for now or in the next few years.”
Simmons was a backup to Lillard when the Trail Blazers were trying to be competitive from 2018-2021, but that time is long gone.
The 25-year-old had a breakout season in 2021-22, finishing eighth in Most Valuable Player voting, and he eclipsed the mark of 20 points per game (21.1) that year in 2022-23.
Portland then sent Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade before last season as part of a rebuilding team, and Simmons averaged a career-high 22.6 points per game.
If Simmons is indeed available, he would be a valuable trade asset as his salary would be just $25.89 million this season and just over $27 million next season.
That equates to a solid contract for any team looking to acquire him, and Simmons is set to become a free agent in 2027, meaning he could command even more money in an extension if he performs well.
Teams that could be interested in Simmons include the Lakers, Warriors, Heat and Spurs, but the list could get even bigger.
Portland is expected to build its team around Sharpe and Henderson over the next 12 months, while veterans Deandre Ayton and Jeremy Grant are widely known to be available via trade.
The Trail Blazers traded for Deni Avdija on draft night in exchange for draft capital.
Portland used the seventh pick to draft University of Connecticut center Donovan Clingan.
